Ten coaching candidates to replace Bryan Harsin

Here are ten potential candidates to replace former Auburn head coach Bryan Harsin.

Auburn has officially moved on from Bryan Harsin, per the university's report on Monday afternoon.

"Auburn University has decided to make a change in the leadership of the Auburn University football program," the release stated. "President Roberts made the decision after a thorough review and evaluation of all aspects of the football program. Auburn will begin an immediate search for a coach that will return the Auburn program to a place where it is consistently competing at the highest levels and representing the winning tradition that is Auburn football."

Auburn has not announced an interim coach for the final four games of the regular season at this time.

Here are ten potential candidates to replace Bryan Harsin.

Deion Sanders - Jackson State

Patrick Lantrip/Daily Memphian via AP

Sanders has been a popular name that has been floating around in the media sphere for quite some time now. Would Sanders be willing to make a move to the SEC after a 20-5 start at Jackson State?

Jeff Grimes - Baylor

Grimes was the offensive line coach for the Tigers from 2009-2012 and is currently the offensive coordinator for the Baylor Bears.

Under his watch, the Bears have finished at least inside the top 40 in scoring offense in his first two seasons, including a top 25 finish in rushing offense both years.

Matt Rhule - Carolina Panthers

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Rhule was recently let go by the Panthers and would be an interesting choice for the Tigers. At his two collegiate stops (Temple, Baylor), Rhule proved to be a consistent rebuilder - jumpstarting both programs after a serious lull before he arrived.

Lane Kiffin - Ole Miss

© Matt Bush-USA TODAY Sports

Kiffin has been known as a journeyman his entire coaching career, and would be a fun fit for Auburn.

He's never stayed in one place for more than three seasons, and he is currently wrapping up his third year with the Ole Miss Rebels (23-9 record, 14-8 SEC).

Kiffin is a proved commodity in the SEC that would generate buzz, create storylines, revive recruiting, and give Auburn the momentum they need.

Hugh Freeze - Liberty

James Guillory-USA TODAY Sports

Freeze just signed a five-year extension with the Flames but may still be on Auburn's target list - SI's Ross Dellinger reports it is a "Power Five-friendly" buyout.

The former Ole Miss coach currently has Liberty off to a 7-1 start and will be looking to build on the success he has found in Lynchburg.

Dave Aranda - Baylor

Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Aranda did not have a particularly attractive resume before becoming LSU's defensive coordinator in 2016 - but has now found some stability as a first-time head coach for the Baylor Bears (19-12 record, 2-7 in year one).

Since his time as DC at Wisconsin in 2013, Aranda has yet to have a defense finish lower than 32nd nationally in total defense. Five of the seven seasons as DC with the Badgers and the Tigers included top 15 defensive finishes.

Chip Kelly  - UCLA

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Kelly is an interesting case.

After a four-season, 46-7 stretch with the Oregon Ducks from 2009-12, Kelly left for the NFL in 2013 - earning one playoff berth with the Philadelphia Eagles before flaming out of the league in 2016.

He returned to the college game to coach at UCLA in 2018 and has slowly built the program up. A 3-9, 4-8, and 3-9 start with the Bruins quickly turned positive after an 8-4 2021 campaign. UCLA is off to a 7-1 start this season and is in the thick of the Pac-12 title race.

Schematically, Kelly would be an intriguing hire. How he and his staff would fair on the recruiting trail would be interesting.

PJ Fleck - Minnesota

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Fleck was a name that came up when Auburn fired Gus Malzahn in 2020. He was 1-11 with Western Michigan in his first season as a head coach in 2013 before producing 8-5, 8-5, and 13-1 the next three years.

He's been at Minnesota since 2017 and has been up and down. His track record with the Gophers is as follows:

2017: 5-7

2018: 7-6

2019: 11-2 (defeated Auburn in the Outback Bowl)

2020: 3-4

2021: 9-4

2022: 5-3

Like Kelly, recruiting is a bit of a question mark. Considering neither of these coaches have spent any time in the SEC (and Auburn may be snakebit after just firing a coach with no experience in the league), they may not be high on the target list.

Luke Fickell - Cincinatti

Katie Stratman-USA TODAY Sports

Fickell is in a unique position. With Cincinatti moving to the Big 12 soon, Fickell has the opportunity to step up to the Power Five level in two different ways.

After a 6-7 season with Ohio State as an interim coach, Fickell stepped out of the head coaching ring until moving over to Cincinnati in 2017. He's done a phenomenal job with the program, producing three double-digit win seasons in three of his six years (not including the 9-1 record in 2020, which would have been another 10+ win season if not for the Covid schedule) and earning the Group of Five's first College Football Playoff berth in 2021.

He does not have the SEC experience, but Fickell has proven he can elevate a program.

Urban Meyer

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Meyer has had a weird, scandalous end to his coaching tenure. He's won three combined national titles at Florida and Ohio State and has a 187-32 overall record at the collegiate level.

However, recent events in his lone season with the Jacksonville Jaguars (2-11) has soured public perspective on an already controversial figure. Whether or not Auburn (or Meyer) would be interested is unknown.

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